


Catch-22

by HawkyBarton



Series: OTP and Fanfic Brigade (Prompts galore) [81]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Hawkeye (Comics), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Clint Barton Needs a Hug, I literally can't think of any other tags, M/M, Phil Coulson Needs a Hug, fluff at the end, prompt, trigger: violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-07
Updated: 2015-10-07
Packaged: 2018-04-25 04:01:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4945918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HawkyBarton/pseuds/HawkyBarton
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint was given an ultimatum: break-up with Phil, or watch him die</p>
            </blockquote>





	Catch-22

**Author's Note:**

> Anon asked: Clint is taken and told that he has to break up with Phil or they'll kill him and Phil. Of course he cares more about Phil than himself. He does & everyones pissed at him. A man starts getting close to Phil and Phil wants to hurt Clint(not really but he's hurt so he thinks so) so he starts dating him and flaunts him. The guy can even shoot a bow. He works on a team now that helps the Avengers sometimes.
> 
> Clint is breaking and one day after a mission he walks up to Phil and kisses him before telling him the truth no one believes him until two shots ring out. One hits Clint in the shoulder because he was expecting it and ran toward Phil to shove him out of the way and takes a bullet to the chest. Clint is dying and everyone realizing what was really going on. Super angst but happy ending with Clint not dying.

Most of the relationships Clint Barton had ever had, had ended in terribly. Except for when he started to date Phil Coulson. 

Phil Coulson was literally the other half to his whole, and no matter how bad Clint screwed up, Phil stayed with him. 

Now, see, the other thing with Clint is, he cares way too much for others, and not a smidge for himself. That had eventually been the downfall for all his other relationships, the sacrifices he made for others, which in turn led to consequences in his relationship. 

Clint had thought that he was finally over his string of bad luck when he and Phil had started dating.

Until he was kidnapped. 

Clint didn’t know how they managed to catch him by surprise, but he woke up in complete darkness. 

Feeling a blindfold around his face, Clint sighed. 

“Alright, whomever has me, can you just release me? It’ll be easier on both of us if you do, and the Avengers won’t have to get involved....”

A voice laughed, “Oh, you’re incredibly funny Agent Barton. We’re not gonna release you... Well, not until you make us a promise?”

Clint raised an eyebrow, “A promise? Doesn’t sound too hard... Go for it”

The voice laughed once more. “I’m sure you’ll find this toi be a hard promise to keep Agent Barton”

Clint sighed, “Ugh. I don’t need a villain speech, just lay it on me... Please”

“Fine” The voice snapped, obviously annoyed with Clint already.  _My one superpower,_ Clint thought privately to himself. 

“We have only one  requirement for your release.”

Clint nodded, “You said that already. Go for it”

The voice huffed, “We wish for you to break up with your beloved Phil Coulson”

Clint jerked back in the seat he was tied to. “No way! That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard”

“Ah, ah , ah, Agent Barton  - you didn’t let us finish” The voice cooed. 

Clint frowned, but kept silent. 

“We wish for you to break up with your beloved Coulson, _or,_ we’ll kill him.... Then we’ll kill you”

Clint froze in his seat, his body going cold. 

_Kill Phil? NO!_

Clenching his fists,Clint nodded. “If I make you this promise. To break up with Phil.  NO harm will come to him at your hands?”

The voice laughed, “How easy one falls with the right incentive. yes Agent Barton, if you break up with you Coulson, no harm shall come to either of you... Well at least, not from us”

Clint took a deep breath in, “You’ve got-”

“Oh wait!” The voice the cut in. “One more proviso”

Clint blinked and waited for whatever they were going to say. 

“You can’t tell anyone, or the deal will be void. Understood?”

Clint felt his heart clench, but kept his face stoic. “Understood”

With that word, Clint Barton was once again knocked out.

He woke up back in his bedroom in Bed Stuy, and wished it had all been a dream.

_I’m never that Lucky,_ Clint thought with bitterness. 

 

*******  
Phil blinked and looked at the man who was sitting across from him. “I’m sorry?”

Clint just sighed and looked down at his hands, “This isn’t working Phil... I think we were just better as friends”

Phil took a moment to process this before sucking in a breath. “You bastard” he bit out after a moment.

Clint looked up at Phil and winced, “Yeah I deserved that.... But.... I just had to tell you what I was feeling”

Phil shook his head, “Sure. Whatever.You told me your feelings... now get out”

Clint’s face paled, and Phil tried his hardest not to feel sympathy for the man he still loved (even though the love wasn’t returned). 

“ _Phil”_ Clint whispered

Phil shook his head and stood up, “Agent Barton. You’ve taken up enough of my time as it is... Goodbye”

Phil watched as Clint stood up as well, and turned to leave without a word. 

Waiting until the door had closed behind Clint, Phil dropped back into his seat and buried his face in his hands with a muted sob.

 

*******

Clint hadn’t realized that by breaking up with Phil, he was essentially royally screwing himself over with _everyone.  
_

No one would look at him anymore except in anger (or sometimes disgust, which really hurt). 

They would only talk to Clint when they had a mission, and even then if they could keep it to monosyllables, they did. 

Phil didn’t even really do that much. Over the comms he never spoke to Clint directly, only shouting orders to the other teammates and Clint had to context clue what the hell he was supposed to be doing it from it. 

Clint took each look and silence with a silent blow to his chest, but couldn’t break. No, he _wouldn’t_ break. 

He would endure anything if it meant keeping Phil safe from harm. 

He just wished it didn’t hurt so much is all. 

No, no that wasn’t right either... He deserved everything he got for hurting Phil. He just wished he could talk to someone. _Anyone.  
_

But he couldn’t, he wouldn’t, not if it meant keeping Phil alive. 

 

*******

Phil knew he was being a horrible agent, and a petty person, but he couldn’t help it.

Clint had broken his heart, and his only get back, was by ignoring him. 

He should have felt more guilty, but the Avengers and all of the SHIELD Agents seemed to be on his side, so he didn’t think it mattered too much. 

 

~

All of the Avengers (minus Clint), plus their significant others, Phil, Fury, Hill, May, and Sitwell, were sitting at a huge table in the closest bar to SHIELD HQ. 

It had been two months since Clint had broken up with him, and Phil was really feeling it that night (ergo the trip to the bar, paid for by Tony Stark of course). 

“You know what you need?” Tony slurred as he drunkenly pointed a finger at Phil. 

Phil just raised an eyebrow, knowing Tony would say what he was thinking whether Phil liked it or not. 

“You need to get with someone new. Forget about that asshole Barton, and find a new dude to snuggle with”

Phil blinked initially at Tony actually using someone’s real name instead of a nickname, but then started to think about his suggestion. 

“He does have a point” May said to him after a moment. 

Phil nodded slowly, Tony did have a point (for once). 

 

~

It took less than 20 minutes for Phil to find someone to replace Clint. 

_That’’ll show him,_ Phil though a bit drunkenly. 

The man’s name was Jeffrey (Just Jeffrey) and he was almost a  carbon-copy of Clint (except without some of the major flaws Phil had endured with the other man). Jeff was even an archer like Clint!

Within an hour, everyone was acquainted with Jeff, and found him amazing (unlike asshole Barton)

Phil watched with his beer goggles on as Jeff chatted with the Avengers, and thought about how lucky he now was. 

When a hand landed on his shoulder, Phil jerked his head around to look at Fury (who the hand belo9nged to) “Marcus?’

“Cheese,” the man said, not quite sober himself. “So I’ve been watching this new guy of yours, and I’ve come up with something great...”

Phil nodded. “Go on”

“Let’s stick Jeff in Barton’s spot on the Avengers. Just for a few missions, of course,. If he works, I’ve got a spot for him, and you, on a new Strike Team I’ve been developing”

Phil’s eyes widened, “Really?”

Fury nodded, “Yup”

Phil grinned, “Sounds great Marcus”

Fury nodded again, “Good”

Phil nodded back, before his smile faded. “Wait... What are we gonna say to Barton?”

Fury waved a hand, “Nothing, He doesn’t even need to know”

Phil in his inebriated state that that was a great fucking idea/. 

  
~

Jeff went on every Avengers mission they had for the next three months. 

He wasn’;t quite as good as Barton, but he was good enough that no on minded. 

The relationship grew between Jeff and Phil and the team quickly, until it was almost was strong as the one that Clint had had with them previously.

 

*******

Clint realized after one month that the team no longer needed him, but couldn’t for the life of him figure out who had taken his place. 

Within the next two months, Clint became: a land lord, gained an apprentice and a dog, reconnected and then lost his brother, lost the apprentice and his dog, had them come back, and saved the tri-city area from the track suit mafia. All of this happened while he was trying not to think of his broken heart. 

A little over three months after the night Phil had met Jeff, the Avengers called Clint back into the fold, now that Jeff was on Strike Team Epsilon. 

Confused, Clint left Lucky with Kate and headed to Avengers tower. 

He wasn’t welcomed by Jarvis or the team (which he had expected), what he hadn’t expected was some guy cuddled up to Phil in the briefing room. 

Phil looked over at Clint the moment he entered the room, and the frostiness in his gaze froze Clint to his core. 

“;Agent Barton, so glad you could _finally_ join us”

Clint sat down at the table, “I was held up by a land-lord issue and-”

Phil raised an imperial hand, “No personal talk please, we all have work to do...”

Blinking, Clint just nodded slowly and listened to the meeting. _  
_

It wasn’t exactly specifically mission related, more a summary of past missions and planing of upcoming missions. 

At the ending of the meeting, Clint was about to stand up and leave, when Stark help up a hand. 

“Now that that’s over, Barton - meet Jeff. Jeff is Phil’s boyfriend, and a member of a new Strike Team with SHIELD and the Avengers. Oh! Yes, he was also your replacement the last three months because he’s an archer, sniper, and all around cool guy - unlike you. Okay, _now_ we can be dismissed” Turning to look at Clint, Tony smirked. 

He didn’t get the reaction he wanted, however, when Clint just walked out of the room without a word. 

 

~

Clint was almost to the elevator when Phil and Natasha caught up with him. 

Ignoring the two people he had once considered his best friends, Clint stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor. 

“Clint-” Natasha said after a moment. 

Snapping, Clint turned to look at her. “That’s _Barton_ to _you_ Agent Romanoff!”

Both Phil and Natasha blinked at Clint’s tone. 

“Barton,” Phil tried to say soothingly. “I know things have been a little tense lately... But perhaps maybe we can still keep things professional-?”

“Professional?!” Clint barked with a laugh. “That is fucking _rich_ coming from you and SHIELD” Clint spat.

Phil frowned, “Now Clint-”

“Shut the hell up Coulson. You know none of you have acted the least bit professional since we broke up. So, seriously, shove it” Clint said as a final word before he stepped out of the elevator. 

Phil and Nat couldn’t think of anything to say in return, so they just watched lint walk away. 

 

*******

Clint’s moods towards everything that involved SHIELD or the Avengers only got worse as time progressed. 

No could say anything though,m because they had acted the same way to Clint all those months ago. 

At one point or another in time, a member of the team tried to make amends with Clint after realizing how unfair their actions had been, but were rebuffed immediately. 

Everything came to a head the day Phil got himself stabbed. 

 

~

It was a typical Avengers mission (AIM Agents showing up and trying to take over the world, no biggie). The new Strike Team had come in to help the fight off the AIM Agents they were battling. 

Clint had just fought a whole group off, when he noticed once sneaking up behind Phil. 

licking onto his comm to warn Phil in  a calm manner, he was overrun when a voice screamed over the comms “Phil!!”

This caused Phil to jerk around, pushing him directly into the knife the AIM Agent had been holding. 

Clint watched in horror as Phil used his adrenaline to take out the agent, before collapsing to the ground. 

Suddenly everything Clint had been fighting for all these months disappeared. 

Killing the two AIM Agents closest to him, Clint hurried off his perch over to Phil, noticing curiously that Jeff wasn’t anywhere close by. 

Rushing over to where Phil was passed out, Clint swooped the older man into his arms and got him to the med van. 

 

*******

Phil awoke in a hospital bed, and sighed deeply. 

“I hate medical,” he murmured to himself as he looked around. 

What he spotted was shocking to say the least. There, in the plastic chair next to Phil, was a sleeping Clint Barton. 

No, not Jeff, an Avenger, or a SHIELD Agent... Clint. 

Phil would have been lying if he said that hadn’t caused happy little butterflies to go through his stomach. 

Reaching out, Phil brushed his fingers through Clint’s hair before dropping back into oblivion. 

When he woke again, Jeff and the Avengers were in Clint’s place, and Phil tried his hardest not to be disappointed. 

 

~

Phil was completely healed from his stabbing wound within two weeks, and was back in his office the day he got out. 

A knock came at his door around lunchtime, and raising his head, Phil was shocked to see Clint entering. 

Standing up, Phil walked around his desk . “Cl-Barton...  To what do I owe this-”

He was interrupted with a kiss. Frozen for just a moment, Phil was unable to stop himself from responding to Clint’s lips on hi sown. 

Before it could get to o deep, Clint pulled away. “The only reason I broke up with you was because someone kidnapped me and said if I didn’t, the would kill you. They also said if I told anyone you would be killed too - but I couldn’t hold it back any longer” Clint blurted out. 

Phil’s face dropped during Clint’s speech, and it was covered in anger as soon as he finished. “that’ is the most ridiculous story I’ve ever heard. Get the hell out of my office Barton, and I hope you’ll remember next time that I have a boyfriend. I’ve moved on. I’;m surprised you haven’t as well...”

Phil watched as Clint’s faced paled, before becoming a calm mask as Clint walked out of the room. 

Shaking his head, Phil couldn’t believe Clint would have tried to pull that bullshit on him. 

 

*******

Suddenly everything switched once more, with the team going back to the way they acted when lint had first broken up with Phil. 

Apparently Phil had become a blabber-mouth since they had broken up, and had told everyone what Clint had told Phil. 

They all believed him to be a liar, and though his methods were disgusting (and once again it hurt), but what could Clint do?

He tries to save Phil - he gets shunned.

He tells the truth - he gets shunned. 

Some days Clint felt like he should just leave, and never come back, Maybe then he could get on with his life, like Phil had. 

 

~

The team were out at yet another bar, but this time they had had to invite Clint since it was fundraising for the Avengers relief fund. 

Clint stuck to the back of the room and texted back and forth with Kate instead of trying to jump in on all the fun. 

Suddenly he felt the hackles on the back of his neck rise. 

_Well, some shit is about to go down, that’s for sure.  
_

Turning around, Clint came face-to-face with Jeff. 

“You just couldn’t keep your mouth shut Barton” Jeff said with a hiss.

Clint frowned, “What are you-”

“We gave you instructions! Specific instructions, and you defied us!” Jeff cut him off. 

Clint’s eyes widened, “It was you!”

Jeff rolled his eyes, “OF course it was me you imbecile. And now it will also be me who kills your precious Phillip”

Clint shook his head,”No.. Why? I mean.. You two were-”

Jeff huffed, “I was using Phil and the whole lot of them to get into SHIELD. They fell right into my trap and now I have all the information I need to take SHIELD down. But first.” Brushing past Clint, Jeff began to approach Phil, gun already slipping down into his hand. 

Knowing he couldn’t shout a warning to Phil, Clint took two seconds to plan, before jumping into the fray. 

 

*******

Phil had been enjoying his bourbon on the rocks when he noticed out of the corner of his eye what looked like Jeff and Clint having a heated discussion. 

Clenching his fist around his glass, Phil turned away before he could get any angrier with Clint for trying to screw with his life. 

His anger and his turned back meant that he completely missed the danger he was in, until he heard two shots ring out in the room. 

Dropping his glass, Phil turned around, ready to fight, when his eyes widened in horror as he saw the blood begin to spread across Clint’s chest before the man dropped to the ground. 

Shooting his eyes up, Phil noticed that Jeff was holding a gun and cursing under his breath. 

Before he could comment, Jeff cocked the gun once more, and Phil knew that Clint had been telling the truth (and that Jeff had been deceiving him this entire time). Pulling out his gun, Phil shot Jeff point blank in the head and didn’t bother to watch the man fall as he dropped to his knees next to Clint. 

“Oh god Clint, oh god I’m so sorry” Phil cried out as he dragged the archer into his arms. 

Phil was barely aware of the chaos swirling around him, and when the medics tried to pry Clint from his arms, Phil wouldn’t let go. 

Steve had to physically pull him away from Clint, and all Phil could do was whimper as he watched Clint be put into an ambulance. 

 

*******

Clint woke up in a hospital room and couldn’t believe that he had survived two shots to his chest.

“Clint?” A soft voice asked him. 

Turning his head, Clint spotted Phil in the chair next to the bed (and upon further investigation, both shield agents and avengers crowded into the room). 

“Hey” Clint said with a rasp to his voice. 

Phil’s eyes filled with tears and Clint raised his hand to Phil’s cheek.”Hey, hey, hey. I’m okay, no need to cry”

Phil shook his head, but nuzzled his face closer to Clint’s hand. “I should have listened to you. You got hurt because of me”

Clint shook his head, “No. I got hurt because I didn’t want to trust anyone with your safety months ago. If I hadn’t been an idiot and just _told_ someone I could have-”

It was then Phil’s turn to calm Clint. “You were just doing what you thought was right. Don’t beat yourself up over that”

Clint gave Phil a weak smile, “I won’t if you won’t”

Phil nodded, “Deal”

Clint nodded and fell back asleep. 

 

~

Clint woke up again, surrounded by friends and Phil. 

“So Legolas” Tony said as soon as Clint sat up. “What’s been happening in your life since you know”

Clint shrugged, “I have an apprentice, a dog, my brother is dead, and I believe some leftover tracksuit mafia guys are after me... That about sums it up”

Everyone blinked.

“Wow,” Phil said eventually. “You were much more productive than we were”

Clint gave them a smirk, ‘That’s because I know how to do my fucking job”

Loud shouts in disagreement were heard for several minutes, before a young girl with dark hair walked cautiously into the room with a mangy looking golden retriever. 

“Yo! Hawkeye,Lucky! Come introduce yourselves”

“NO THERE CAN’T BE TWO HAWKEYES BARTON”

“Suck it Stark”

“And there’s the Clint I know and love”

“Love you too Phil”

**Author's Note:**

> (( You can prompt me if you wish for other fics, or for any ideas you may have about this fic at [ Hellogoodbye](http://hellogoodbye741.tumblr.com/ask) ))


End file.
